Tunelab, was etd's la-di-da

[jason kanter]

Don sez:
>Tunelab products
>do a display of all partials as well, but again I've not used that product.

I use Tunelab a lot. The key difference is that the Verituner is dealing
with actual partials as experienced, while Tunelab's 12 partials per note
are all mathematically calculated based on the initial measurements on six
notes. The treble portion of the curve is very dependent on readings in
octaves 5 and 6, and these readings are very inconsistent and generally
sparse. The mic only picks up a little whisper of the 2nd and 3rd partial.
The total treble stretch at C8 can vary by 10 cents or more depending on
which high notes you sample. It is an admirable mathematical model that
sometimes (often, in my experience) is in error in its estimate of where a
given partial ought to be.

Verituner, which I have observed but not used, is constantly processing (and
memorizing) eight real-time partials in relation to its memory of all other
notes on this piano. The results are superhuman. Wish I could afford one.

What RicB says ("If you know what tuning is
about in terms of coincident partials matching, you will be able to
conciously employ the ETD to create a very fine tuning.")

That's how I use Tunelab these days. I take the readings and let Tunelab
calculate the curve, but I don't trust it. Instead, I use Tunelab's ability
to lock onto what it is hearing, capture that and incorporate it into the
curve. So I set Tunelab on E6(fundamental), play the note A4 and have
Tunelab lock onto what it is hearing. With a keystroke, I then store that
reading as the desired stretch for E6 (perfect twelfth). I play the newly
tuned E6 and lock Tunelab's B7 as an actual perfect twelfth. Now with E6 and
B7 as anchors, I can modify Tunelab's curve to match. This process produces
the most beautiful treble sections I have ever tuned. (Still working on a
similar algorithm for the bass.)

The next generation of Tunelab is coming, within the next couple of weeks,
and all the Tunelab users are looking forward with great eagerness. I gather
some wonderful enhancements have been made.
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Jason Kanter . piano tuning regulation repair
jkanter@rollingball.com . cell 425 830 1561
serving the eastside and the san juans